The trouble Michael Lauber, the Swiss Attorney General invited upon himself after lying about his informal meeting with FIFA president, Gianni Infantino seems to be getting worse by the day. As impeachment proceeding has now been lauched against him.
The Swiss Parliament’s Judicial Committee launched proceedings after questioning Lauber on his handling of the investigation of corruption involving world football’s governing body.
They voted by 13 to four to move to dismiss the 54-year-old.
“The Judicial Committee opens an impeachment hearing when there is reasonable suspicion the accused willfully or with gross negligence seriously violated his official duties, or otherwise has lost the ability to fulfill them,” said Committee chairman Andrea Caroni.
The Committee is looking into possible collusion between the Swiss prosecutors and FIFA.
Two meetings allegedly took place between Lauber and Infantino in 2016, the year of his election as FIFA President, and in 2017.
In March, Lauber was sanctioned for disloyalty, lying and breaching his office’s code of conduct after committing what the supervisory authority watchdog described as “very serious breaches” before and during disciplinary proceedings opened by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into corruption at FIFA.
Lauber, whose salary was cut following the investigation, said he would appeal the decision and accused the watchdog of bias.
His office acknowledged the Judicial Committee’s decision and said Lauber would continue with his duties during the impeachment process.
If Lauber is found to have committed a breach, the Committee is set to submit a motion to the Swiss Parliament to vote on his removal.
FIFA has never denied the meetings between Infantino and Lauber took place but claimed they were designed to show how the organisation and Infantino were willing to cooperate with the OAG.
Although Infantino is not accused of wrongdoing, Swiss newspaper Tribune de Geneve alleged last month that Infantino had interfered in an investigation by Lauber into his awarding of a television rights contract to an offshore company when he worked at UEFA.